Marshall Marshall Board of Education

Marshall Public Schools 100 East Green Street, Marshall, Michigan 4068 PRESS RELEASE April 4, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marshall Public Schools Receives $217,000 Grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Marshall Public Schools is pleased to announce that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has approved a grant to the district in the amount of $217,000 for the grant period of February 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015. This grant will support a project to provide a quality high school experience for all students in Albion and Marshall that is more diverse, equitable, rigorous and relevant so students will be better prepared to operate in a more global society. Specifically the grant will provide for transitional services for "coaching and training" staff on culture and climate in both Marshall and Albion school districts. The districts will use curriculum on teen leadership from the Flippen Group and their program "Capturing Kids' Hearts" as the vehicle for students in grades 6-12. Teacher certification is required to provide this course at both middle schools, and key administrative support from all three buildings - Albion's K-8 Building, Marshall Middle School, and Marshall High School. Capturing Kids Hearts is a learning experience that provides tools for administrators, faculty and staff to build positive, productive, trusting relationships among themselves and with their students. These processes can transform the classroom and campus environment, paving the way for high performance. Additionally the grant will provide training through Glasswing and the National Equity Project (NEP) for secondary teaching staff and administration. Training a key administrator in the middle school and a counselor at the high school on cultural diversity and equity will go far in better preparing our students for a more diverse learning environment. These staff members will become the coaches and trainers for Albion's middle school and Marshall's as more lasting partnerships are developed in education, STEM learning, and activities to support our cooperative agreement. The overall goal is to align the cultural and behavioral expectations for middle school students in both communities so they will have a more successful transition into the Marshall High School. Glasswing racial healing is a facilitated 2-day process. Participants are guided through a transformation of their hearts and minds about racism and how to relate to one another as members of the human family. The NEP addresses opportunity gaps to improve learning and education outcomes for vulnerable students.

NEPs believes that every child in America has the right to a quality education, and they coach people to become powerful leaders who make good on that promise. This grant aligns with the districts strategic mission to help every student reach his or her full human potential and become career and college ready in the diverse and global economy and world in which they live. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.